Aftermath of a Kiss
by atforgold
Summary: After the infamous kisscam gate Payson is the only gymnast Sasha has left. They spend long hours together preparing her for World team trials. Is this strictly business or are things about to get really personal?


Hello to all out there in Fanfiction land. So, I have been inspired! I never thought of myself as a writer, but reading all of your wonderful submissions has made me want to participate as well. I recently discovered this show at my cousin's house and I loved it. She only had the first two seasons on her DVR so I'm on a desperate search to find the rest. I especially loved the Payson Sasha storyline. I was rooting for them from the moment she ran out of the gym begging him to stay and they had that intense eye contact. Ugh...swoon. Anyway enough about me. onto the story. It takes place prior to the World trials, when Payson and Sasha are working alone in the rented gym. I may have fudged the timeline with some of the events that happened but so did the show so why should I be held accountable. That being said this is AU, obviously.

"Damnit Sasha. I can't do it." Payson shouted slamming her hand into the mat. It was the fifth time she had landed face first on the mat in the past hour.

He kneeled down next to her, "You can and you will. Now get up and do it again."

"What is the point? There is no guarantee that I'll even get to perform." The defeated tone of her voice tugged at his heart.

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life." She answered without hesitation.

"Then trust me when I say that you can do this." She was still looking down at the mat as she nooded meekly. "I can't help you if you don't let me in Payson. Something is blocking you, holding you back, and I need to know what it is so that we can work through it, together."

She still didn't look up from the mat but mumbled."All of this is my fault. I let everyone down my parents who have sacraficed so much for me, my team who was looking for me to lead, and you most of all I ruined you."

"No Pays-"

"Yes I did!" Her voice was firm and carried throughout the gym that was empty except for them. " I did this to the both of us. I should have just taken the cortisone and none of this would have happened. If I hadn't of fallen I would have been the national champion and Kaylie wouldn't have been under Ellen Beals thumb, she would never have gotten sick. And you I literally ruined your career, because of some stupid idiotic crush. You would have had no reason to be in a gym late a night alone with me if I wasn't trying to recover from an injury I caused myself. Emily-"

"Emily what?" He interuppted loudly, stopping her growing tirade. "She wouldn't have gotten arrested or pregnant, Lauren's mother wouldn't have died. I wouldn't have had these-," he stopped himself there. "None of this is your fault. Even if you had taken that shot it doesnt mean that you would have won that day. It doesnt mean that anything would have been different, and if things had been different, if you had fallen at another meet, or Worlds, or the Olympics, would that have made it any better." He placed his hand under her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "None of this is your fault."

" Everyone's life is messed up because of me."

"No. We are all responsible for the choices we make and you are no exception but nothing beyond that. They are your friends, and you care for them. You are responsible for how you treat them, you are responsible for your actions towards them. However you are not responsible for their bad decisions, or circumstances beyond you control. I don't blame you, no one blames you. When we are here in this gym you need to put that out of your mind. You say that you trust me, but I need you to be able to trust yourself again. We are going to do this, and when you do when you perform for them, they will be blown away. They will have no choice but to put you on the team headed to Worlds."

She was staring hard into his eyes, and he tried to let them reveal the truth of his words, but nothing else. He kept everything else locked up and pushed down in deep dark places that he only visited when he was alone. Whatever she saw there must have convinced her because she allowed a small smile to grace her features. He relaxed at the sight. Stifiling the thoughts of how beautiful he found her.

"Now, let's call it a night. I will see you back here bright and early tomorrow morning, ready to work."

"Yes sir." She said with a mock salute jogging off to grab her bag.

She gave him a small wave as she left and he smiled tightly and waved back. As the door swung closed behind her his smile fell. For her it had been a stupid teenage crush but for him it had been so much more.

So this is the beginning it's not much but I just wanted to see how it would be recieved. I would like for this to be a pretty long story from Worlds through the Olympics. In this story it will be 2011 Worlds leading into the Olympic year. If you guys would like more just leave a review. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! Even ifyou hate it I want to know.


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